


Sketching The Future

by staymagical



Series: Keithtober 2019 [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist Keith (Voltron), Cussing, Drawing, Flirting, Keith (Voltron) Being an Idiot, Keithtober 2019, Klancetober 2019, M/M, That's just a blanket tag for all my fics honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 05:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20961092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staymagical/pseuds/staymagical
Summary: Keith finds a beautiful stranger to sketch in the park and ends up making a fool of himself. Nothing new there.Overwhelmed by his own stupidity, Keith shifts position, leaning forward to curl his legs underneath him and making a show of looking away out toward the pond.But he doesn’t start a new sketch.He’s too enthralled by the young man to move on without completing his rendering. Like a little girl with a schoolyard crush, he starts to adoringly depict every stunning detail, reproduce his admiration onto paper.





	Sketching The Future

**Author's Note:**

> Keithtober Day 8: Artist Keith and Park

Keith glances up once more at the brunette across the campus park, studying the angles of his body as he lounges in the shade of a maple tree. He’s definitely Keith’s favorite subject today, all long lean lines and smooth caramel skin with hair that curls delicately around the ears. 

A sketch can’t possibly do him justice.

But Keith tries his best.

He leans back against the rough bark of the tree trunk, letting the scratch of pencil on paper surround him in comfort, his constant companion ever since he can remember. His dorm room is littered with stacks of old sketchbooks and artist pads, well-loved pencils, charcoal, paints, markers, hell, he even started using the campus computers for digital renderings. Anywhere he can draw, anyone, anything, he does. 

Though, like most artists, he gravitates toward the beautiful, the unique, the stunning. 

And this young man is all of the above and then some.

Applying light pressure to the tip of his pencil, Keith traces the delicate bow of lips, the curve of his throat as it dips into his shirt, the spark glinting in his eye as he stares back at Keith, the intricate movement of his hand—

Oh shit.

Keith looks back down at his sketch quickly, embarrassment flooding his cheeks at getting caught ogling. God, he must think Keith’s some sort of freak. Some stalker or pervert that sits in parks and stares at strangers. That waits for them to leave before following them home. He shivers at the thought, shame rushing down his neck.

Overwhelmed by his own stupidity, Keith shifts position, leaning forward to curl his legs underneath him and making a show of looking away out toward the pond. 

But he doesn’t start a new sketch. 

He’s too enthralled by the young man to move on without completing his rendering. Like a little girl with a school yard crush, he starts to adoringly depict every stunning detail, reproduce his admiration onto paper. 

From memory.

Oh. Okay yeah that is a bit creepy. Damn.

For a few minutes he focuses on fine tuning the sketch, trying to will away his embarrassment and ignoring the area where the young man still sits. Perhaps if he feigns losing interest, the young man will forget about the creepy guy across the park. 

But when he gathers up the courage to finally chance a quick glance over, the spot beneath the maple tree is empty.

Keith’s stomach sinks, disappointment weighing on his hopes of—of what? Continuing to watch from afar? Not like he was going to walk over there and talk to the young man. Or ask him on a date. Keith frowns, turning back to his sketch with renewed determination now that it’s all he has left of the young man.

“Huh, you got my chin right.”

Keith startles at the voice behind him, jumping a good inch off the ground and scratching his pencil across the paper in his fright. 

For a beat, he forgets why he was startled as he stares down at his sketch in horror. The beautiful young man’s face is now marred with a deep dark line that bisects him right across the nose and temple before fading off into the ether. 

A deep sorrow wells up in Keith at the loss of something beautiful.

That is until the words spoken finally register. Then horror of another kind slams into Keith.

And he knows, even before he turns around to stare up at the speaker that he’s going to come face to face with the real life subject of his drawing. The young man with long lean lines and smooth skin and soft brown hair that curls around his ears. He’s standing next to the trunk of the tree at Keith’s back, towering over him like an ethereal being sent down from the heavens.

Damn, he’s even more striking up close.

The young man’s eyes go wide as he catches sight of the sketch. “Oh, fuck, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He looks truly upset, brow scrunching as if in pain as he meets Keith’s eyes. “Shit, I ruined your beautiful art.” 

“Uh, it’s fine.” Keith drops his gaze to the sketch in his lap, hands twitching with the urge to cover it from scrutiny. The dark fracture is all he can see. “Damn,” he mutters to himself.

“I really am sorry,” the young man apologizes again and Keith’s eyes are drawn back up to his face. Oh, he hadn’t noticed how incredibly blue his eyes were before. If only he had some paints with him. “Just wanted to see if you were a creepy stalker or just an art student.” 

Oh god, that laugh.

Keith is so gone.

Somehow, he manages to scrounge up what's left of his thoughts and unfortunately says, “Apparently those are one and the same when it comes to artists.” 

Shit no, what the hell? Keith clears his throat, cheeks reddening further as he says, “Sorry, I didn’t mean—uh just sorry about—” he waves his hand at the unsolicited sketch and the awkwardness that hangs between them, “—all this.”

The young man’s smile turns wicked and could even be mistaken as flirty if Keith hadn’t just derailed his chances off a cliff by opening his goddamn mouth. “No, don’t apologize,” he says, and oh, okay his tone has also changed. Keith frowns in the face of uncertainty. “Not every day a gorgeous stranger captures your beauty so perfectly.” And then he tacks on a wink for good measure.

Flirting, that was definitely flirting. Keith blushes all the way down to his bones.

So, of course he ruins it by gesturing to the dark line across his sketch. “Well, not anymore.”

Foot meet mouth.

“I truly am sorry about that,” the young man says with a wince and a hunch to his shoulders. And Keith aches with the loss of that smile. 

But the young man is straightening back up just as quickly, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “Tell you what, how about I buy you a coffee and I’ll let you draw another.” He points toward Keith’s sketch and smirks. “To replace the one I ruined, of course.”

Did he just—did he just get asked out on a date? Keith sits there frozen for a beat as his mind rushes to catch up with what he’s heard. Even after all he’s done, everything he’s said, this young man wants to willing be in his presence? Maybe miracles do happen.

And Keith isn’t about to fuck this one up. 

With a nod of his head, Keith mirrors the young man’s smile, letting it to go flirty at the edges. “Of course,” he says, closing his sketchbook.

“I’m Lance, by the way,” the young man says, extending his hand to Keith as he finishes gathering his things. 

Keith takes the offered hand and allows Lance to pull him to his feet, his grin broadening when he responds, “Keith.” And oh, that spark in Lance’s eye is even more alluring up close.

Years later, sitting at the head of the reception table, donned in tailored white suits with matching bow ties around their necks and gold bands on their fingers, they’ll regal their friends and family once more with an account of this moment.

The moment each of them met the love of their life. 

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my Instagram for more Klance and VLD drabbles and short fics: [staymagwrites](https://www.instagram.com/staymagwrites/)


End file.
